Monday 6/3/24
That would be Dave Kingman. I have a joy for Dave Kingman, he who is almost universally maligned by those who know his name and think they know his game, but are almost always in the wrong.
In this particular Kingman-related entry, I will dispel the notion that Kingman was this gluttonous strikeout slob.
Yes, the man known to some as Kong did whiff at the dish on myriad occasions, but this is the price one pays when being all about the home run such that one is essentially a round-tripper incarnate, which is how I view Kingman.
Dave Kingman led the league in strikeouts three times. That's only twice more than Mike Trout. Ah, but what of those seasons? Accepted Kingman-related wisdom--which is to say, Kingman-based foolishness--would lead one to believe that these were campaigns of great inefficiency, on account of Kingman's K totals.
But what if I tell you that in two of those seasons, Dave Kingman led the league in home runs? And that in two of those seasons--one of which does not include a season when he led the league in home runs--his OPS+ was 146 and 123? The former is outstanding; the latter, very good.
During the season--which was in 1979--with that 146 OPS+, Dave Kingman hit .288 and drove in 115 runs. During the season--which was in 1981--with the 123 OPS+, Kingman finished tenth in RBI and third in home runs.
Then we come to the year in which Kingman's OPS+ was less impressive. This would be 1982, when Kingman had an OPS+ of 99. Not terrible, though, is it? During that season with the Mets, Kingman hit .204. But take courage, those who would join me in upholding the honor of Kingman. He led the National League in home runs with 37 and was eighth in RBI with 99, but let's look at that Mets team on which he played. George Foster was second in home runs with 13. Next best was Ellis Valentine with 8. The whole team hit 97 home runs, which means that in 1982, thirty-eight percent of the home runs hit by the New York Mets were hit by Dave Kingman. Foster was second on the team in RBI with 70. Third was Mookie Wilson with 55. Among regulars, Kingman's OPS+ was the best on the team. Essentially, Dave Kingman was the offense of the 1982 Mets.
So there are the three years--and it was only three years--in which Dave Kingman led his league in strikeouts.
Kingman!
Also, Kingman, if you're reading this: There is no one who believes more than I in the glory of your moonshots. I understand your game, sir, and I celebrate it.
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